Sam Ray Lee on Umami House's Jam Battle and building space for musical conversation

Eric Li on building Scratch with AI and the case for thoughtfully crafted software

Interviewed in April 2026. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.  west & ease is a space for conversations with creatives, insights on design, and the moments that bring community to life. I’m Leslie Luo, and I’ve always been fascinated by how we interpret the world. And west & ease is where I explore that through conversations, design, and community. Today I’m talking with Eric Li, [https://www.ericli.io/?utmsource=westandease.com] a self-taught designer, developer, and co-founder of Versive [https://www.getversive.com/?utmsource=westandease.com], a YC-backed AI user research platform. Eric started his career in investment banking, then made a deliberate pivot into product, designing at Bread as their first designer, at Uber Eats, and leading product and design at Vareto before starting his own company, Versive. Recently, he built Scratch [https://www.ericli.io/scratch?utmsource=westandease.com], a free open-source markdown notes app, all in a weekend using AI coding agents and watched it blow up on GitHub, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We get into his actual workflow with Claude Code. Why design taste is still the hard part, even when AI can ship working software in minutes, and what building in public looks like when you’re already running a company. To learn more about Eric and his work, visit www.ericli.io [https://www.ericli.io/?utmsource=westandease.com] or follow him on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erictli/?utmsource=westandease.com] and Twitter [https://x.com/erictli?utmsource=westandease.com]. You can also read our first conversation, where Eric shares more about his creative journey. west & ease is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. west & ease is part of & luo studio [http://www.andluo.studio/?utmsource=westandease.com/holding-space-for-connection], where I do fractional design consulting, design coaching, and host creative community events. If you’re a brand, team, or creative partner interested in collaborating, I’d love to connect. You can learn more and reach out at www.andluo.studio [http://www.andluo.studio]. Credits Music by lsaudio [https://pixabay.com/users/lsaudio-54077238/?utmsource=westandease] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=1535] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.westandease.com/subscribe [https://www.westandease.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Holding space for connection: designing meaningful events at any scale

Hosting isn't about finding the perfect venue or filling a room. It's about creating the conditions for real connection. I'm sharing three things I've learned so far as a host and community builder: why intimacy can be designed at any scale, how a host's energy and intention shapes the room, and what "scale" actually means when it comes to meaningful gatherings. Subscribe to west & ease on Substack for essays, reflections, and invitations from the community: www.westandease.com You're also invited to an upcoming event in Brooklyn: get lost (& send love) is a creative afternoon where we'll slow down and make personalized cards for friends and loved ones. Tickets include complimentary mini bouquets, light bites, and all materials. Plus $1 of every ticket goes to Heart of Dinner. Tickets: www.luma.com/efwbcyov [https://luma.com/efwbcyov] west & ease is part of & luo studio — fractional design consulting, design coaching, and creative community events. Learn more at andluo.studio [http://andluo.studio]. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.westandease.com/subscribe [https://www.westandease.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Practicing community

At the beginning of 2025, I began to ponder a simple question: “What does it mean to build community?” Living in New York, it’s easy to be surrounded by many people, but people alone do not create community. Because to me, community is defined, as Merriam-Webster would, as “a state or feeling of caring about and wanting to interact with others in a group.” Specifically, the feeling of finding space and belonging with others. And so, I began to explore with my community what it means to create and engage in community. Read the full post at https://www.westandease.com/p/practicing-community [https://www.westandease.com/p/practicing-community] --- P.S. two upcoming events in Brooklyn, NY I'll be co-hosting: • Ground + Gather: a yoga and tea event with Dana Lee [https://partiful.com/e/pqkQVWCCtHeEZUlVRRYy?utmsource=westnandease.com] • SANS: a craft non-alcoholic cocktail experience with Billy Cho [https://partiful.com/e/7H5E2MMEu2HLeQkOFKgk?utmsource=westandease.com]. Hope to see you there, and we can practice building community together. ----- Music by lsaudio [https://pixabay.com/users/lsaudio-54077238/?utmsource=westandease] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=1535] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.westandease.com/subscribe [https://www.westandease.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Sam Ray Lee on Umami House's Jam Battle and building space for musical conversation

Interviewed in May 2025. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. west & ease is a space for conversations with creatives, insights on design, and the moments that bring community to life. I’m Leslie Luo and in this conversation, I’m catching up with Sam Ray Lee [https://www.instagram.com/raytheidea/?utmsource=westandease.com]—a creative and part of the Brooklyn-based music collective Umami House [https://www.instagram.com/umamihousemusic/?utmsource=westandease.com]. We first spoke in 2023 [https://www.westandease.com/p/conversations-with-sam-ray-lee]. Since then, a lot has happened. In this recent conversation, Sam reflects on what he’s been building over the past year and a half — from learning how to create the right atmosphere for live music, to finding that sweet spot where energy, space, and sound all come together. But it wasn’t until he came up with the idea for Jam Battle, a one-v-one musical improv showdown featuring talented artists, that he saw the full potential of what this could become. Also heads up, there’s some explicit language in this conversation. To learn more about Sam and his work, you can follow him on Instagram @raytheidea [https://www.instagram.com/raytheidea/], @umamihousemusic [https://www.instagram.com/umamihousemusic/], and @jambattleofficial [https://www.instagram.com/jambattleofficial/]. You can also read our first conversation where Sam shares more about his creative journey in 2023. west & ease is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. west & ease is part of & luo studio [http://www.andluo.studio/?utmsource=westandease.com/holding-space-for-connection], where I do fractional design consulting, design coaching, and host creative community events. If you’re a brand, team, or creative partner interested in collaborating, I’d love to connect. You can learn more and reach out at andluo.studio [http://www.andluo.studio/?utmsource=westandease.com/holding-space-for-connection]. Credits Intro and outro song: Friends by Umami House [https://open.spotify.com/track/6Al3NujLGn7GhmDzTR6k14?si=7df3045f39bf4389?utmsource=westandease.com] Umami House’s first song, Move Along [https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ck1p2U-DIrw/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==?utmsource=westandease.com] Audio from the first Umami House Experience recap [https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2K-rLQxd_9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==?utmsource=westandease.com] Audio from the second Umami House Experience recap [https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4ghp_zRUCe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==?utmsource=westandease.com] Audio from Umami House x 12 Pell collaboration [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ9wm2XAYgf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==?utmsource=westandease.com] Audio from Umami House Presents Jam Battle 1 recap [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIMW2wMxQ0r/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==?utmsource=westandease.com] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.westandease.com/subscribe [https://www.westandease.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Kevin Twohy on how he designed Hellosaurus from start to launch

This was originally a Patreon-exclusive audio recording for patrons. While we’re no longer on Patreon, we’re bringing back all exclusive content for paid subscribers. So you might hear some mentions of Patreon, but switch that out with “Subscribe on Substack” and you’ll get the idea. west & ease is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Interviewed in 2020. This conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity. Welcome to a west & ease subscriber exclusive. west & ease is a collection of stories, sounds, knowledge, visuals, and "creative" work. Specifically, you're listening to an exclusive clip from a recent Conversation with Kevin Twohy. You can find our original conversation here [https://www.westandease.com/2021/01/17/kevin-twohy/]. Meet Kevin Twohy [https://kevintwohy.com/], an independent product designer helping early-stage startups go from zero to one. He shares with us how he got started in his career, how he's steered himself into the creative, independent world, and gives us insight on how to approach it ourselves. For this exclusive, we'll hear directly from Kevin about a recent project he did with Hellosaurus [https://hellosaurus.com/]. Hellosaurus is a new interactive video platform for kids to watch and play along with their favorite shows, truly reimagining screen time for a touch screen generation. Kevin shares with us how the idea came to fruition and walks us through the process from start to launch. Bonus links: Kevin shared with us a few links during the chat, including: * Kevin's tweet thread about Hellosaurus with visuals [https://twitter.com/kevintwohy/status/1330982506582188032?s=20] * Nielsen Norman Group research on how to design for kids [https://www.nngroup.com/articles/kids-cognition/] * A book on how to Design for Kids [https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/design-for-kids/] To learn more about Kevin and his work, check out his website at kevintwohy.com [http://kevintwohy.com/] and follow him on Twitter @kevintwohy [https://twitter.com/kevintwohy]. Music by mariokhol [https://westandease.substack.com/users/mariokhol-17683309/?tab=audio&utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=audio&utm_content=1535] from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=1535] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.westandease.com/subscribe [https://www.westandease.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]